Colton Berry was literally the last man standing.

When "American Idol" whittled down 164 finalists to its top 24 last week, the 18-year-old Staunton native nervously faced Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson to learn if he or fellow contestant Kyle Ensley would take the final coveted spot in the men's top 12.

Cowell voted for the tie-wearing Ensley. Abdul and Jackson overruled him and the quiet, shaggy-haired Berry was in.

So, might being the last pick work in Berry's favor?

"I don't know if he's an underdog because he was the last guy chosen. He might have the underdog appeal because he is an underdog," said "Idol" producer Nigel Lythgoe in a conference call with reporters Friday. "He and [contestant] Garrett Haley are two quite shy guys, and we haven't seen [their personalities] come through yet.

"Both are extremely talented. Colton reminds me of Boris Becker, the old German tennis player. He's an interesting character and all of a sudden you realize, he's got a really good voice. But this show requires more than that at the end of the day. It needs that charisma coming across."

Berry will perform at 8 p.m. tomorrow on Fox.

While Lythgoe has instituted some changes on "Idol" this season - cutting group numbers from Hollywood week and allowing contestants to play instruments (which they can still do throughout the competition) - there are more tweaks.

Only four celebrity guest mentors will participate throughout the season, with contestants' back stories and a "where are they now?" segment telling viewers the whereabouts of past hopefuls such as Diana DeGarmo filling time instead.

Also this week: a new opening title and a new set.

One thing that hasn't changed is the siblinglike bickering between Cowell and Abdul, though some suggested the pair's sniping has waned.

"Oh no, they're fighting! It's the same thing with them. . . . Some mornings they immediately hate each other . . . and another morning they'll come in lovey-dovey and start kissing each other. It makes me sick sometimes!"

"But," Lythgoe continued, referencing Berry, "at the end of the day, they will both fight for what they want. As you saw, Simon didn't get his way with one of the kids and he was moody, as I guess we all are a bit when we don't get our own way."